“Dignity”

With all of the bad media surrounding falling starlets, it’s refreshing to see one teen star who hasn’t sacrificed her dignity. Hilary Duff’s album, “Dignity,” named for something that seems to be lacking around Hollywood lately, is a fresh start for Duff amidst the new musical direction of dance floor fluff. After two albums and two other multi-platinum albums filled with bubblegum, the new sound is not only updated for the ages of her fans, but Duff herself demonstrates musical maturity by co-writing all but one of the songs.

“Dignity” opens with the single “Stranger,” an electronic groove that immediately strips away any leftover “Lizzie McGuire” image remaining in fans’ minds, while the title track derides her fellow celebrities for their loss of morals.

Duff shines in the beat-happy second single “With Love,” her catchiest song to date. Between the surging synths and crunching guitars, she coos, “I wanna be there for you, the way you’ve been there for me, always help me walk the line.” The ode to unconditional love earned unconditional praise from fans and critics alike, making the song soar to her highest chart position to date.

Overall, “Dignity” showcases potential for future albums and scores a few hit songs, but it suffers from a rather boring middle section that weakens the album.